I’ve gardened on the same piece of land for a quarter of a century.
It has been quite a journey, creating a garden. Magical, spiritual, and humbling.
Scattered with failures and successes.
When I began, I read every book and magazine I could get my hands on.
Fran Sorin Garden – from the meadow looking onto front yard
I was convinced there was a right way of ‘doing it’.
As I became more confident and developed skills, I realized this wasn’t true.
That following rules make for a boring garden.
And that breaking the rules is ‘a must’ …
If you want to create an authentic, soulful garden.
A unique one that reflects who you are.
Here are some things that I’ve learned over my 3 decades of gardening.
GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR IMAGINATION.
We all have one. It’s part of our souls. All you have to do is tap into it.
I love going for solitary nature walks. With no agenda. I automatically slip into a state of wordlessness and let the beauty sink into me.
There’s no one way to access your imagination. It might be listening to music, going for a run, or working on a research project.
Doe Run Garden – Brandywine Valley, Pa.
THINK OF YOUR FRONT YARD AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
Most Americans think that front yards should look a certain way.
Lined up with a slew of evergreens, shrubs, and trees. How dull.
Years ago when I visited Anne Hathway’s house in Stratford-Upon-Avon, I was grabbed by its intensely planted front yard cottage garden. For the first time, it dawned on me that a suburban front yard could be transformed into a glorious garden.
One thing that stood out for me when visiting the garden was the beautiful bench situated in the front yard. It was a beautiful wooden bench with the hedge surrounding it. I spent days after looking for a similar looking one to go in my yard once I finished redecorating it, and came across one on the charming bench company website, however they don’t ship to my area, I was devastated, so the search continues.
My front yard went through several reincarnations before I gained the courage to dig up everything and design the garden of my dreams ~ a romantic, heirloom rose – perennial garden .
Fran Sorin Garden – front walkway
It has a gently winding pathway that leads to other gardens on either side of the house. It’s filled with native junipers, boxwoods, rows of yews and a series of rose arches.
People are blown away when they visit. For most, it’s a revelation.
EXPERIMENT WITH THE PLACEMENT OF PLANTS
Some of my greatest plant combinations happen when I feel inspired. Contrary to conventional gardening, a tall plant can make a great exclamation point placed towards the front of the border.
By doing this, the rhythm of the garden is broken up. It jolts the eye and keeps thing fresh. A little repositioning of plants goes a long way.
THINK OF LIMITATIONS AS A POSITIVE.
This is a tough lesson to learn but a ‘must’ for creative and joyful gardening.
Most of us have been raised with a passive attitude of ‘wishfulness’. “If only I had” or “When I become”.
Embrace the property where you live.
Don’t wait until you purchase a perfect piece of land. Create beauty now.
For years I gardened on a difficult property….steeply sloping and diamond shaped. I spent a couple of years living in the zone of ‘when I have my perfect piece of land.’ Not a good place to be.
It was only when I accepted its limitations that I was able to focus, dig in, and do some serious work. I begin to see the land with new eyes.
Guess what? I ended up designing and planting an exuberant, feisty, and tightly packed garden. Practically everyone who visits (including large garden tours) are inspired. They spend a lot of time questioning me, walking around, gazing, and taking pictures.
So much for convention.
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ~
Observe the land.
Listen to the sounds of nature.
Be flexible. Live with ambivalence.
Persist. Work hard.
When you’re stuck, walk away. Do something else.
Resist the urge to design a traditional garden.
Surrender. Get out of the way.
Invite your creativity to whoosh in and take center stage.
The results?
A jewel hidden under all of the layers of convention ~
***This article was originally written for The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Magazine. Since then, I’ve left that garden and am in the process of creating a new one ~
If you want to learn more about using the creative process in the garden as a conduit for living a more creative life, check out my book: Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN. Share an experience where you’ve broken the rules ~ have had a blast and ended up with great results.
Hi Fran,
You’ve inspired me to get out and start creating beauty. I will content myself with pictures from garden books or magazines as it is still too cold right now. Your front garden is amazing. I love the roses with the pink – beautiful. I can see why people are blown away, it looks so inviting. I have some new ideas for my garden this spring. You’ve inspired me to be creative and let go of the rules.
Cathy,
You’re such a sweetheart. You have a beautiful soul so I know that once you set your mind to creating a garden…when the weather allows you to…it will be a reflection of who you are. Let me know if you need any help…as a friend, it would be more than my pleasure….fran
So many life lessons packed into a garden metaphor, with a literal garden. Man… I live in the city and have a grand total of two plants on my terrace. They were there when I moved in and looked dead. But before I could throw them out, it rained and they revived. They never need watering, just go into hibernation if they don’t get watered. Other than that, I’m not home enough to have a lot of plants here. But… I love gardens and plan to have a big one some day (perhaps a roof top garden, so I can have the city and a garden at the same time?) I love the idea of not keeping to convention. For example, I can see roses (the kind that smell nice ) and orange trees. On a roof top. Oh hell yes! 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
Melody…..How true about gardening as a metaphor.. And it’s precisely what my book, Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening.
I understand the limitations of gardening in the city. I’m always amazed at the sumptuous gardens that people create on tiny balconies in Tel Aviv. When you live in a dense urban area and you’ve got to garden, you find the way.
Your time will come one day. You’re already imagining it…whether a rooftop or a sprawling piece of land, I have no doubt that you’ll create a soulful, authentic haven. Have a beautiful weekend. xxoo-Fran
Hi Fran,
This is such a gorgeous post! I would love to be a gardener, but I haven’t yet succeeded. Oh this fills me with inspiration! 🙂
Aileen,
I bet you can be a successful gardener. As a garden designer, I’ve worked with clients who thought that they would never get their hands in the dirt. Lo and behold…..several became weekend/avid gardeners.
If you’re serious about becoming a keen gardener, let me know. I’ll be happy to work with you on accomplishing that. Gratis. Have a beautiful weekend. Fran
I love all the beautiful analogies! The best way to “show your colors” is to express yourself in your own, messy way. I’ve spent the last few years learning how to break out of the programming to be the best of the herd. Now I’m learning to be me, without the herd. Funny how new herds appear to follow when you finally decided to be yourself. And it feels great!
On the gardening side, I love what you’ve done with yours and I love your approach! Living in the high mountains where all the soil is crushed granite certainly makes gardening a challenge for me. Challenging but not impossible. Yet another analogy: When presented with a challenge, we can simply find different ways of achieving what we want. Other industrious souls in my area have learned to garden and grow their own food year round in an area with a 3 month growing season. If they can do it, so can I!
Thanks for the wonderful inspiration, Fran!
Paige,
I love your thoughts on learning how to be without a herd. And I’m so glad that you are experiencing new herds that are following you.
Anytime you need/want help with your garden, let me know. It would be my pleasure to help you …as a friend. Fran
Fran, what a lovely garden!
Maybe I can borrow you to come and work on my garden in London which is mainly lawn:-)
Wishing you all the best for your book. May it help many more people dig deep and create the life and garden of their desire.
Arvind,
All you have do is ask and I’ll be there.
Thanks for your words about my book. I loved the process of writing it….straight from the heart. Fran
Fran: I love this post and everything you said in it. I really appreciated you sharing the wisdom to make Beauty now. I love that advice. Thanks for sharing such great wisdom and your garden is amazing:)
Sybil..
My garden has been an incredible tool for much of what I’ve learned and am still learning about what matters….
compassion, generosity, a feeling of abundance, and connecting to who our authentic selves (which automatically sparks our creative spirit.
Thanks for you kind words…Fran
Beautiful Fran. A true reflection of the beauty of your soul dear one. There’s something about gardening and flowers that has my soul rising up in song.
Love your metaphors, love this post, love you.
Elle
xoxo
Elle…
There is tons of research on the profound effects gardening has on our physical and mental self.Thanks for your beautiful words. xxoo-Fran
First we broke the “a screened porch must go on the back of the house rule” when we built it on the front of the house, then we planted my wildlife friendly garden in the front yard…We never get complaints and folks often stop to admire the flowers. gail
Gail –
You are a role model for encouraging gardeners to follow their hearts In my x-suburbia neighborhood, you would have been considered a renegade. It’s wonderful that you have admirers that appreciate your artistry. Thanks for sharing. Fran
Fran,
You’re an inspiration to me. Now that it’s March, I feel my green thumb twitching and I’m ready to get started with my spring veggies. I especially love your advice to think of limitations as positive. Wonderful!
PS Love your final thoughts! For life and for the garden!!
Betsy-
I’m germinating a lot of seeds ~ everyday when I see one pushing through the soil, I’m like a kid – It is one of life’s greatest pleasures – and so is breaking rules!! 🙂 Fran
Fran,
I am about to buy seeds and grow my own garden for the first time in my life this year.You and this community of people who have replied to you, have given me so much inspiration and I can hardly wait. I am going to start with vegetables, but after seeing your amazing garden, have realized that flowers are a must as well. Vegetables might be food for the belly, but flowers are food for the soul. I am looking forward to this journey-from being someone who can barely grow a house plant ( I blame it on the wood stove,LOL) to someone who can give others joy.I plan on doing a section of my garden for children in my community as a capstone to my Masters in health education this year.
Carolyn- Kudos to you for deciding to go for it. The key is good soil – add compost, compost, compost. And contrary to what a lot of experts still tell you to do, don’t TILL. It’s bad for the soil. Start with easy seeds and you’ll do just fine. Buy from reputable sources- If you go online – Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com), Seeds of Change, and Select Seeds are a few of my favorites. And remember, follow the instructions on the packet.
Your enthusiasm makes me smile. I know how germinating seeds can have a profound effect on a person. Growing your own veggies from seeds – and flowers? There isn’t anything more beautiful and meaningful –
Thanks for sharing. And please keep me posted on your progress.:) Fran
Our gardens (in the piedmont of SC and the mountains of NC) are increasingly home to native plants, birds, small mammals, and insects of all sorts. My gardening companion (my husband) is equally the gardener in our gardens. Woody, our rescue Golden, is now putting his own stamp on our gardens. He follows his previous fellow goldens (and my former gardening assistants): Mocha and Chessie. They bring life to our gardens.I reduce the sizes of most images, but they’re still bigger than what’s seen on the blog (click to enlarge!)Text and images are my original work, except where credited elsewhere and protected by copyright.
Aliha – I’m confused. I used the URL given and was taken to a non-English written site. Fran